What is Quantum Science & Why Should we Care in K-12 Education?

 I was honored to be asked to be on this panel and state webinar to discuss the importance of including more quantum science (QS) into K-12 education, especially in HS, if for any other reason to increase the exposure of students to QS. Keep in mind that the quantum revolution began 120 years ago!! This is NOT new material, and there is a lot we can do to improve awareness and some basic level of knowledge to young students so they have opportunities to participate and work in countless fields and industries that rely on QS. This is projected to be a trillion $ sector of the global economy in the near future, and we are already short on the workforce. 

The webinar was recorded on World Quantum Day, April 14, and run by the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology - thank you for the invitation! Here's a quick quantum introduction! 

Earth Day 2022 is April 22

 Earth Day is on Friday, April 22. Consider the U.N. SDGs again - are there little things you can do this week, and then perhaps every week, to help? Reducing time in the shower. Recycling. Turning lights and other electrical devices/appliances off. Composting food waste. Buying food you need, and reducing food waste and excess. Put some plants in the ground. Pick up litter in the neighborhood. Donate to and/or volunteer at a favorite organization doing good work. Post these types of actions on your social media platforms, encourage others to do the same (remember the multiplier effect on impact!). Be kind, compassionate and empathetic to others, while being grateful and respectful for what we have in our lives compared to most on the planet. 

Thanks for considering!! This is the only home we have, let's respect it and take care of it, always. 

Congratulations to 2022 Regeneron STS Finalists and Winners!

 If interested in seeing what the Top 40 Finalists in the Science Talent Search did for the 2022 competition, check it out! These are some of the best and most promising young scientists in the country. 

Interesting Fluids studies - droplets on windshields

 One of the Fluid Dynamics options listed in CABS has to do with studying drops of water (or other liquids) on windshields of cars, or at least simulating this in a lab. Fluids offer a nearly endless range of possibilities of phenomena and situations to study, and in many cases to do so fairly easily, at least for high school level research. This type of work can be done in a school lab or even at home, perhaps in one's basement! 

To hopefully convince you that this can provide original work, a formal study on droplets on windshields was just published in a professional peer-reviewed journal. And when one thinks about variations on a theme, many more possible studies develop from the original (good research typically creates more questions than answers, and keeps that research stream alive for many years). Keep observing, keep questioning, and keep doing interesting science! 

The Fantastic Fungi! Endless possibilities to research and study

 On Netflix, I came across the documentary 'Fantastic Fungi.' The most prevalent form of life on earth is truly amazing, and essential for the natural cycles of life whenever any type of organism dies and needs to be broken down so new life can replace it.  

Research into anything related to mushrooms and other fungi is possible in simple experiments and setups, without a need for huge expenses. Studies are, of course, conducive to field work in literally any environment and ecosystem you live near, from urban to suburban to forest to field to anything else you can think of, so field work is a nice option. Fungi help break down anything that is naturally built from hydrocarbons, and the 'root' networks literally everywhere in the world, which is called mycelium for mushrooms, form the largest living networks on the planet. The mycelium, which consist of trillions of webs and interconnections in just a cubic meter of soil in a forest, is a neural network similar in structure to our brain's network of neurons. Trees use mycelium as part of their underground communications networks (yes, trees and plants 'talk' to each other through their root systems!). There are over one-million species of fungi, so do experiments that explore the growth and uses/applications of fungi/mushrooms! This can also lead to finding the most efficient and productive ways of growing edible mushrooms as food sources in the home, for very little cost, that low income households and food deserts can use. There are all sorts of ideas for this amazing kingdom, so be creative and find an original piece of this to study!  

Engineering Open House at the U. of Illinois coming up April 8-9

 For those with access to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

UIUC has one of the elite engineering colleges in the world, with 39 Top-10 ranked degree programs for undergraduate and graduate levels. I don't think any other school can say this. Anyhow, they put on a pretty good show each year with their Engineering Open House. This year it is on April 8-9, 2022, and will go back to in-person. 

If you want to check out the engineering programs, that would be the weekend to see so much and talk to people from literally every department within the engineering college. It's about a 2.5 hour drive to UIUC, so check it out if you have a chance!! The photo below is of the Bardeen Quad on Engineering Campus (a small portion of the engineering campus). John Bardeen is the professor I've mentioned who is the only person to win 2 Nobels in Physics, for the transistor and theory of superconductivity. 

Keep in mind if you are in other parts of the country, open houses at nearby universities and colleges can be wonderful for students to see what's out there in STEM, make possible connections with professors and college students, and getting research ideas. 

Regeneron Science Talent Search National Semifinalists

 You can check out the titles of all 300 national semifinalist projects in the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). Get ideas from the top research projects in the country. Keep in mind that nearly all of them will have been done in professional labs with professors and professional researchers as their mentors. While that is all wonderful, and these students did remarkable work and learned SO much, we realize very few students around the country have those connections and are near the professional labs to be able to do these types of projects - the vast majority of schools do NOT have these opportunities, and do not have in-house research programs, and likely have no school history to fall back on for science research. 

It is for these reasons and these students with few options for such advanced research that CABS exists! We can still do original research in our schools and homes, with little equipment or materials, and we can offer such opportunities to any student, anywhere, and they have the chance to make discoveries! This is cool to think about, and even cooler to do!